


Two Giggling Messes

by Nigaki



Series: Tamed West [5]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Boys Being Cute, Established Relationship, Kissing, M/M, No Beta, Pre-Canon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Uncle being Uncle, he can't believe what he's seeing, which is being drunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24303748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigaki/pseuds/Nigaki
Summary: The gang just celebrated train robbery. Uncle tries to find a perfect spot to nap after he drank too much but he's not the only one looking for a quiet and private place.
Relationships: John Marston/Arthur Morgan
Series: Tamed West [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1585225
Comments: 6
Kudos: 71





	Two Giggling Messes

**Author's Note:**

> Just something cute and short from Uncle's pov.

It wasn’t the brightest idea to drink so much. He promised to himself every time that he won’t drink as much next time but whisky was just too tempting. Oh well. Nobody died from too much alcohol yet, and he was holding up pretty good, he was only slightly dizzy when he moved away from the camp, where most of the gang was already unconscious under tables after drinking less than him.

Amateurs.

He found a quiet, peaceful spot not so far from the camp and slumped down on the moss growing around some rock and directly on it, creating a perfect pillow for his poor back. Lumbago is no joke, you need to be careful with it. 

He slid the hat over his eyes, folded his arms on his belly and sighed with relief when dizziness weakened and nauseas stopped completely. Nap seemed like a good plan right now, it would make him feel better so he could finish all of the alcohol that was left, and there was a lot of it. After a successful bank heist, the gang could afford all the alcohol in the world.

He was just dozing off when he was stirred up by the sound of stumbling steps and drunk giggle, or rather two giggles. He recognized one of them instantly, he knew only one person who laughed like they were going to suffocate at any moment.

Knowing that it wasn’t someone outside of the gang, he relaxed again, ready to fall asleep, but then steps became lauder and not long after, stumbling over their own legs, Arthur and John appeared in his line of sight, holding to each other so they wouldn’t fall. 

They noticed him right away with how close they were standing, maybe just ten steps away.

“Shit, Uncle is here,” John noticed, weirdly spooked by his presence.

Uncle didn’t move an inch, curious about what both boys wanted to do here. His hat was covering his eyes but through the holes in the brim of it, he could still see a little.

“Don’t worry about him,” Arthur calmed the younger man down and wrapped a hand around his waist. “He’s drunk as a skunk. But we can move if you want.”

John giggled again which sounded like wheezing.

“I will fall,” he pointed out. Just when he finished saying that, he swayed to the said and took Arthur with him. Tree growing next to them stopped their fall.

“I’ll hold you,” Arthur promised, and a beaming smile appeared on his face. Uncle had known this boy for so long but he never saw him as happy as he was now. 

“You’ll fall too.” John swayed forward, stumbling right into Arthur who grabbed him by the arms and helped him to stand straight, only to almost fell into John himself. They were almost as drunk as him.

“It wouldn’t be so bad, I would land on you,” Arthur purred and brushed his nose over the stubble on John’s cheek.

What?

“You’re heavy,” John giggled and then fully laughed when Arthur’s nose tickled him behind the ear.

WHAT?

“Shh,” Arthur warned him but he was giggling himself. “Don’t laugh so loud.”

“You’re laughing too!” John hissed at him before they both laughed loudly, swaying side to side with the force of it and despite the tree giving them a support.

“I guess I am,” the older man agreed and tossed his head back sighing. “I think I’m drunk.”

John snorted, and his hands find their way to Arthur’s chest. He grasped the shirt and brought older man closer, taking advantage of Arthur still having his head tilted and kissing his throat softly, gently, almost in a worshiping way. 

Oh. OH! Uncle was starting to understand what was going on. He miraculously stopped himself from revealing he was seeing everything. Poor boys would get a heart attack if he suddenly spoke since it seemed they forgot about him.

“You know what? I think I’m drunk too,” John admitted before he stumbled back suddenly. “Shit.”

“Oh.” Arthur was dragged along with the younger man but he managed to cling to the tree and save them both from meeting the ground. John giggled stupidly. “Careful. Stand still.”

“I can’t, earth is moving,” John complained, pouting like a small child.

“Of course it’s moving, it was shoved…” Arthur went silent suddenly and cleared his throat before he corrected himself. “Proved scientifically.”

John chuckled.

“You know such hard words,” the younger man teased, once again shifting closer, like they couldn’t stay away from each other.

“Shut up,” Arthur snapped angrily, only to bring his face closer to John’s a moment later until their lips touched in a short kiss. It ended quickly, but their lips were still brushing when Arthur moved back slightly. “I love you.”

That was amazing. Uncle had to lift his hat a little higher to see everything better. He thought he knew those two boys, Dutch’s dear sons, brother not connected by blood yet close enough no one would even notice they weren’t related.

In love.

He could’ve never expected anything like that. Never! Maybe it was just a dream? Maybe he drank more whisky than he thought and now he was having hallucinations.

No matter how many times he blinked and how hard he was pinching himself, John and Arthur were still standing in front of him, hugging, smiling. And the words spoken by Arthur, his tender ‘I love you’, still ringed in Uncle’s head louder than the alcohol he consumed that night.

It was all happening for real.

“You need to get drunk more often.” John’s voice snatched Uncle away from his thoughts. “You’re much nicer to me then.”

Arthur snorted.

“I’m always nice. You just don’t appreciate it enough,” he stated offended.

“You’re nicer drunk,” John kept insisting. The younger man was casually touching Arthur’s chest and neck, just enjoying himself until the older outlaw caught John’s hands in his gently.

“You’re my best friend. The love of my life,” Arthur admitted out of nowhere, John held his breath that he released only after Morgan kissed his again. “I want to be with you forever. If you die, I’ll die with you to not live without you for too long.”

Uncle was witnessing something that wasn’t supposed to be heard by anyone but these two. The right thing to do would’ve been to reveal he was listening and then leave, but he was too afraid to do so at this point. Not only because of the boys and how they would react, but also because he couldn’t stop watching how sweet they were towards each other.

He saw them in tender situations before. Hugging after a tough job or when one of the boys almost died, tending each other wounds, wrapping their arms around each other while sitting by the fire, cheering one another when the other felt down. But it was never like what they were showing now, when they were drunk and couldn’t control themselves as good as usual. Those harsh, cold outlaws were carrying their hearts on their sleeves right now, opening them to each other. It was such an unusual sight but at the same time so beautiful Uncle couldn’t turn his eyes away.

“I’m not going anywhere, sunshine,” John assured and kissed Arthur on the cheek.

Arthur frowned.

“Why do you call me that?” he asked confused, leaning away from his sweetheart.

“What?”

“Sunshine, why do you call me that?” the older man repeated, squinting his eyes.

“Because you’re nice,” John purred and hugged Arthur closer, clinging to him. Morgan returned the hug immediately, without any hesitation and sighing with content. “And nice. And I can’t live without you. And day becomes better whenever you’re by my side.”

John was acting like completely besotted, young maiden writing to her sweetheart. He even blushed like a one and grinned happily during his confession, safely embraced in his lover’s arms.

“This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said, even for a drunk,” Arthur stated. Uncle almost snorted, he barely stopped himself in the last moment.

John huffed angrily and wiggled himself out of the embrace to look into Arthur’s eyes.

“You’re just jealous of my romanticism.”

“It was stupid. But sweet. Like you.” Arthur was blushing now too. His face, red from all the alcohol he was drinking before, now became even redder when he was looking at John in admiration and vice versa. “You’re pretty.”

“I am?” John asked with a childish grin.

“I like your hair,” Morgan clarified, entangling his fingers in John’s hair. He played with them for a few seconds while Marston purred with his eyes closed like a very content cat. “And nose.”

Surprised, John looked at Arthur when the older man poked him on the said part of the face.

“Nose?” he repeated confused.

Arthur chuckled.

“It wrinkles in a cute way when you’re angry,” the older man explained. “That’s why I tease you so much.”

“You’re cute too.” John wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck, who in return placed his hands on younger man’s hips. Because of how drunk they were, they looked almost as if there were swaying to some music. “You walk around all day with a scowl, showing off your huge muscles you could break people in half with,” John almost moaned out that part. “and you act like a mean sonofabitch but look at you now. You’re adorable.”

“Shut up, I’m a dangerous outlaw,” asserted with a serious expression that made John bark out a laugh. It was enough to put silly grin on Morgan’s face again.

“Sure you are, sunshine,” John agreed with him. They kissed again. Uncle quickly closed his eyes to give them at least a little bit of privacy. “Have I ever told you I love you?”

Uncle watched both boys again. They were standing chest to chest, holding themselves for balance and looking into each other’s eyes.

“Not enough times.”

John met his needs right away. Smiling, he kissed Arthur softly, a little peck on the lips, just like two friends would do when they greet each other. Only in this case even a blind person would notice there was nothing platonic in this kiss. Arthur and John both closed their eyes before their lips even connected, they turned their heads to sides to not squish their noses and their mouth pressed together not for a short moment as a form of greeting, but firmly and longer than between two close friends. 

“I love you,” John breathed against Arthur’s lips before kissing him again – longer, with more passion. “I love you. I love you.”

John would’ve been kissing the older man after every ‘I love you’ if it wasn’t for Arthur suddenly clinging to him. Marston froze in place surprised before he returned the embrace, gently brushing Arthur’s back while Morgan hid his face in his neck.

“And never stop.” Uncle barely heard that, not only because Arthur’s back was to him, but also because of the voice itself. There was so much fear in it making it so quiet. “I already lost two people, I don’t want to lose you too. Don’t leave me ever again.”

For Uncle, it was getting more awkward that it already was. He never saw Arthur like that, so vulnerable, but now he had no other choice but to look. If he revealed himself now, both man would kill him, he had no doubt about that.

“I won’t. Never,” John promised, affected by this just as much as Arthur. “I loved you since forever, I love you now and I will continue loving you as long as my heart is beating. I promise.”

Uncle was sure Arthur was crying, but when the outlaw raised his head to look at John again, there was no tracks of tears on his face. Which didn’t mean Morgan wasn’t shaken up. He stared at Marston as if the younger man was going to vanish any moment now.

“Together forever,” he said to John.

They smiled and then kissed again, like they couldn’t get enough. Maybe they confessed to each other only recently, probably when they left to hunt for over a week sometime after John returned. Who knows what they’ve been doing then. No wonder they acted so clingy.

Uncle turned his head again. From time to time, he could hear kissing noises or when one of the boys sighed but apart from that, he tried to ignore it and act as if he wasn’t there and two of his friends weren’t kissing each other passionately just few steps away.

When he started hearing that the kiss was getting a little bit out of control, he decided it’s the best time to flee. He was going do it sneakily, John and Arthur were to occupied with each other to even notice him anyway.

He already placed one of his hand on the ground to turn around and crawl between bushes and trees and hide just like those trees were hiding the boys from the praying eyes, when he suddenly heard them shouting in surprise and not a long after, also a thumping noise.

Uncle looked into their direction again, John was laying on the ground and Arthur on him. They were both groaning with pain but it quickly turned into a drunken giggles.

“What are you laughing at?” John barely asked that question he was laughing so hard.

“I don’t know,” Arthur answered and covered his mouth to stop himself. It didn’t help. “But it was funny.”

Boys laughed for at least a minute, who knows why. Uncle wanted to laugh himself seeing them acting like that but he kept his mouth shut and only watched them with a fond smile. They were really happy and something was telling him it wasn’t just alcohol’s doing.

Arthur rolled of John eventually and laid next to him. They both stared at the stars above, partially covered by tree crowns.

“Stars look beautiful,” Morgan noticed, keeping his eyes on the sky. John was looking at it as well, amazed by it as if he was seeing them for the first time.

“Yeah,” he agreed and shifted closer towards his lover, probably seeking warmth. The ground was cold to lay on.

“Wish I could touch them,” Arthur admitted and reached his hand up.

“Aren’t starts big balls of flaming gas?” The younger man looked at Morgan confused.

“So what if they are?”

“Nothing,” he answered amused. He shifted even closer, and Arthur lifted his arm without a word, allowing the younger man to rest his head on his chest. John sighed content and when he got comfortable, he wrapped his arm around Arthur’s middle. “I love you, Art.”

Uncle have seen many times how Arthur talked about Mary Linton, his old flame. He always had such a loving look in his eyes then, and his face softened every time to the point when it was hard to believe he was the same man. It was nothing compared to the love he just saw on Morgan’s face when he looked at John who’s expression wasn’t any less loving. They looked at each other as if they were the greatest wonders in the whole world.

He had no idea how they could keep looking at each other like that when even Uncle felt out of breath because of it and he wasn’t even the one receiving those looks.

“I love you too, Johnny,” Arthur replied and looked at the sky again. John wasn’t bothered by stars anymore, something, or rather someone completely different was taking all of his attention, no matter how pretty stars were. “Are you feeling sleepy too?”

“A little bit.”

Uncle waited for them to fall asleep for sure before he decided to get up and run before the boys could realize he witnessed one of the most intimate moment of their life. Even watching them make love would be less intimate but he wasn’t going to test that.

He lifted himself from the ground carefully, quietly backing away, stopping only for a moment to look one last time at the boys. They looked good together. Happy. Their relationship suited them. Uncle had no idea how long they already were together but he hoped they would survive all the hatred the world had in store for them.

He wasn’t bothered by it. When he was younger he experimented a little, there was nothing wrong with homosexuals in his opinion. Just normal people wanting to be with their loved ones.

What he saw today, he would keep to himself. If John and Arthur would ever tell the rest of the gang about being in love, only then Uncle would admit to them he knew. Until then, he would guard their secret for as long as boys would need.


End file.
